What brought me to do this?
by ThePhoenixIsRising
Summary: After coming back from San-Lorenzo, everything changed. Arnold and Helga spent some of the best years of their lives together, but it was all to fall apart because of a set of circumstances way outside of Arnold's control. This story will explore Arnold's life after his initial relationship with Helga, and how time slowly heals a wounded heart.
1. Bitter Memories

**Author's note: This story is my interpretation of what happened after the Jungle Movie, and explores the lives of Arnold and the PS 118 gang in their early 20's and beyond. There will be references to substances both good, such as love and bad, such as alcohol (debatable) and it may explore mature themes in later chapters.**

**It may contain material that some viewers may find offensive, viewer discretion is advised.**

**Hey Arnold is the creation of Craig Bartlett and property of Nickelodeon, I have no claim to any of the franchise.**

* * *

'What brought me to do this? I guess things have changed in my life, quite drastically in fact. Gone are the days where I used to play in the street, with a simple carefree attitude with the gang from PS 118. Things I never expected would happen, did. They just, seemed to cascade one after another. I had no control...'

"Damn, it's ten o'clock already..."

Arnold turned away from his half packed duffel bag and lay down on his bed. Letting out a sigh he adjusted himself and looked through the skylight, staring into the unending abyss of the night sky. He enjoyed the clear nights. Despite the light pollution it felt like nothing he did mattered, that he was some insignificant piece of a never ending puzzle. Nothing could touch him.

"Well, no turning back now..." he said to himself. He grabbed a baseball from the nightstand and started throwing it into the air. It didn't help that his mind was attempting to process a million different things simultaneously. He wondered what people were thinking about his decision, "I just wish I knew how to turn myself off sometimes" he murmured, turning round and throwing the baseball into the bag.

Running his fingers forcefully through his hair, he settled his thoughts on the series of events that brought him to this. Tomorrow he would be leaving Hillwood, his friends, family and the people he loved. He sat up on his bed and looked at the picture of his parents, smiling lovingly in the ambiance of the flash light laying next to him. 'If only...' seemed to be the phrase most prevalent in his mind.

He had always technically been an orphan, despite for years having the gut feeling that his parents were still alive. Stuck in a country in South America sure, but alive none-the-less. Since winning a trip for himself and his entire class to go to San Lorenzo, they had against all odds managed to save his parents. 'Not a bad for a ten year old' he thought, the reunion with his parents still fresh in his mind.

He knew things weren't going to be easy, but it truly had been a dangerous endeavour. 'I knew it would never have been a simple case of just going in and finding them,' he thought, 'I was lucky nobody fired a shot... we all were.'

He remembered when he first saw them, he was stunned, almost powerless to speak. After hearing a rumour that his parents were somewhere in the 'unknown', accompanied by his classmates and thirty or so government soldiers, using the journal they had finally managed to track them down. As they stumbled through a dense wooded area and into a clearing, it was by complete accident that his best friend had found his parents.

"Arnold, isn't that... isn't that your mom?" Gerald squinted slightly, brushing aside the leaves on the other side of the clearing.

Unhooking a branch snagged on his clothes Arnold turned around, his body suddenly frozen in time, 'It's her, it just _has_ to be her...' he thought. He pulled the dog-eared passport sized photo of his parents from his pocket and looked back. 'Is it?' It was when his mom saw him and let out shriek of excitement that his life completely changed in an instant.

It _was_ her... IT WAS HER! He ran towards her, time seeming to slow as his mind went into total meltdown. They embraced each other, a feeling overwhelming.

"Arnold!" Stella shouted, she immediately kissed her son on the forehead, wrapping him in her loving embrace. Arnold looked up and uttered a single word.

"Mom..."

That word, a word so foreign to him, even to this day. As a surge of emotion bolted through his body, he turned to wipe away the tears. But it was no use. Trying desperately to hold them back he looked up at her again.

Arnold didn't know what else to say. He never thought this day would come.

At that moment, his father had popped his head out of a nearby tent to investigate the ensuing chaos. Arnold caught him out of the corner of his eye at that second, and despite the overwhelming look of surprise on his father's face, he returned what seemed to be the most loving and sincere smile he had ever seen, he knew it was Arnold. Despite the yelling of the soldiers storming past them, they were locked in that moment. They were both alive, and as far as he was concerned there was nobody else, just them.

Arnold remembered that he was by no means really that emotional as a ten year old. 'Clever and level headed? Yeah, I was both of those things...' he thought with a smile, '...and modest.' He always had this knack for being there when people needed him. As a result his peers frequently looked to him for guidance. But, as his father ran over and held him, that was his moment. A sudden release was inevitable. It didn't matter that his class was watching, it just didn't. The tears began to stream from his eyes, which only intensified as his father held him closer.

"Dad..." was all he managed to utter under what seemed to be an entire emotional cascade. This was just too much for him to handle, but in the happiest way he thought possible. His parents' embrace felt like the warmth of heaven itself. That he was able to claim back what seemed like ten years of unquestionable parental love. Happy? Elated? Euphoric? Every Christmas until the end of time? He wasn't quite sure which phrase suited the situation the most, but none of them did it justice.

"I've missed you son," his dad whispered, "we both have."

Combined with a mutual kiss with a rather special someone earlier that same day, it was by far the most memorable day in his life. It was official, his parents weren't dead. His classmates cheered, and Mr. Simmons started to dance uncontrollably. Even Principal Wartz fought back a tear, trying desperately not to show any emotion in front of the children, for the simple fear that they might find there was a beating heart somewhere inside of that harsh exterior. Wartz had issues for sure, he played with toy animals when he thought nobody else was looking. But regardless, his heart seemed to be in the right place.

Arnold shrugged, "Better than a 20 a day habit I suppose" he said smiling to himself.

Though all of the tests life had thrown at him, it had finally offered him his ultimate reward. Even though life was largely unfair, and much of the world still struggled on less than a dollar per day, he had deserved that, more than anything. Just that one moment in his life had been worth fighting for. The initial shock of finally meeting the fine brave young man he had become had took his parents by surprise. There was no doubt that they were proud of him, his grandparents could not have done a better job.

After the rescue, he recounted how the class and himself continued to spend a couple of days with his parents. After Arnold had finally managed to compose himself he had set to some of the questions that he had spent years formulating. The question that had burned away at him the most was as expected as it was simple.

"Why didn't you come back?"

Finally, after ten long years he was able to ask the question which had tormented him. As the sun set over the delta of San Lorenzo, as the rest of his classmates continued celebrating, Arnold and his parents took to the privacy of a nearby campfire. As predictable and as perfect an opportunity as it was, his parents had little idea how to explain it to him. They didn't know how Arnold would handle it. After a long sigh, Arnold's mother slowly began to talk.

"We never intended to stay for as long as we did honey," he can remember his mother saying, "we thought it would only be brief trip, a couple of months or so." Although upon their return the situation became far worse than they had imagined.

"Shortly after our arrival, a faction of militias called Los Siete (The Seven) attempted to overthrow the government," Miles said, "we had to stay hidden when we could, or move when the fighting got too close. Some of it was really intense."

The ensuing conflict lasted for six years and devastated the country. Given the remote parts of the jungle his parents were located in, it was impossible to find someone reliable enough to get a message back home. Apparently Eduardo had continually tried to get messages to the outside world, until he eventually went missing. Even when the militias had been finally defeated some of the remnants joined together and continued to fight, with renewed relentlessness and ferocity. They were hell bent on destruction, and the conflict just didn't seem to end. "It was like hell in paradise" his father said, slowly sipping his first beer in over half a decade.

"Shortly after your mother had managed to develop a cure to the sleeping sickness, we were captured by the remnants of one of the militias," Miles continued, "we managed to distribute the cure, but were captured just after we had finished. It's as if they were waiting for us."

"We had no choice Arnold, " said his mother, "we both have some medical training and they demanded that we help them. Otherwise they said they would do the same to us as they did to Eduardo."

It was clear that his mother was holding back tears. He sensed that something really bad had happened, and realising this Miles decided it would be wiser to skip to the end of the story.

"We have been in that position ever since, patching up their wounded until you brought these soldiers to rescue us. You were lucky there were only a handful of them left."

Over the next few hours his parents proceeded to tell him about their time in the Jungle. How they had sometimes regretted staying behind to help protect the Green Eyed people from various forces they simply couldn't handle, instead of fulfilling their parental obligations. Although presented with a chance early on to escape from the conflict, the choice to stay in San Lorenzo was a particularly challenging one for his mother. Stella and Miles had heated arguments for days over the issue, before they both agreed that given Stella's previous experience, they were probably going to be the only ones that could help the Green Eyes overcome their sickness.

Although a noble undertaking, it was one which ultimately meant that they would probably never be able to see their son again. Arnold was entrusted into the custody of Mile's parents. That would have to make do, and that is where he was going to have to stay. That state of affairs lasted around nine years.

Snapping back to the present, Arnold took a deep breath and took another look at the clock, 'Quarter past...'

Packing had never been so difficult. This wasn't just any journey, people had mixed emotions about him signing up for the army.

'Maybe I should have thought this through a little more' he thought, sitting upright. His grandparents however had been supportive, as they always were.

"They'll show you how to be a real man" he can remember is Grandpa saying proudly, gazing over his newspaper at him on the morning he decided to tell them. Whilst his Grandma, with almost perfect timing had jumped on the kitchen table in front of Mr. Potts dressed as General Eisenhower, waving a riding crop around.

"We will fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight on the fields!" she yelled.

"That was Churchill Pookie," said Phil again leaning from behind his paper, Abner now bouncing up and down in excitement.

"Just make sure that you don't end up driving the truck with all of the bad meat" Arnold heard him chuckle, as Grandma started to chase Mr. Kokoshka around the table. The boarders themselves were on the whole incredibly supportive, especially Mr. Hyunh, who through the years had helped Arnold to further express himself through music, and Mr. Potts, who said that he was proud of what he had decided to do, and would help him in any way he could. Unsurprisingly Mr. Kokoshka couldn't care less. He just wanted Arnold's bedroom, with things between him and Suzie becoming rather strained as of late. To him it sure beat sleeping on the sofa.

As he threw some more shirts into his bag, he thought about his friends who he had known through school.

'Gerald...' he thought with a smirk on his face, 'one of the few who has stuck with me through it all. Absolutely everything.' Gerald always had his back, even through the really hard times when he had disagreed with him upon his decision to sign up, he still showed him unquestioned loyalty. Although the day he told him turned out to be a rather uneventful one, he could still recount the conversation.

"Say what?" Gerald said, raising an eyebrow as he closed the cash register.

"I've made my decision Gerald, I signed up last week. I'll be going a few weeks after my twenty-first birth-."

"Why the hell didn't you talk to me about this Arnold?" said Gerald, cutting him off abruptly, "You're my main man, you're supposed to run s-" he hushed himself, looking around to make sure there was not any customers within earshot, "you're supposed to run shit like this by me first."

"I know Gerald, it's just you know, it's been difficult."

"Yeah I know, but there's no need to get yourself killed over it."

"I'll be an engineer, so I'm not going to get myself killed. I just need a fresh start. New opportunities. And Dad's medical bills aren't cheap."

"Please tell me this isn't about... you know..."

"Gerald, not this again, please."

"I told you man, she's a psycho."

"She's not a psyc-"

"Okay misunderstood, whatever, but there's no need to do this, just think about it."

"I already have, I just need you to support me, that's all."

"She's bad news."

"I know. I'm finished with her, for good this time."

"Really?"

"Well I'm joining the army, complete with yearlong deployments, I'd say that was as finished as it gets."

"I'm just worried about you man. I know you've had a bad time, I'm just afraid you aren't yourself anymore."

"You may be right, but I'm used to being on my own now and I'm used to being let down. I'm pretty sure I want to do this Gerald. I want to achieve something."

"I've told you, Pheebs and I are going to Florida in a week, her parents have a house there. We can go, have some beers or something, chill out for a while. I can even get some of the good stuff if you want. It'll give you time to get your head straight."

"Three's a crowd Gerald. No. It's your time, spend it together."

"There's nothing I can say to you is there?"

"Yes there is actually," Arnold said, "I love you and I will be there for you."

"Errr... okay," laughed Gerald, raising an eyebrow slightly, "I didn't know you thought I liked you that much."

They both laughed, "Aren't I more than that after all these years?" Joked Arnold, "But, seriously Gerald, I just need to know you have my back on this. It's important to me."

"Arnold. I have your back no matter what. We have supported each other since forever."

They hugged each other and did their special handshake.

Arnold smiled, "Thanks Gerald."

"No problem man. Just don't die on me, okay?"

"F... Gerald, I'm not going to di-"

At that moment, Sid had walked in the store. If Arnold recalled anyone from the old 4th grade class who would have made a decent misfit it was Sid. It just turned out that although he was the go-to man for anything one could consider 'dodgy', he was in fact a really nice guy. He had filled out a bit, and had certainly got a bit taller, but he still dressed pretty much the same. The circles he revolved in also meant that certain information travelled his way frequently. Much to Arnold's frustration, more so on this day than any other.

"Sup dudes," said Sid, spinning his cap to face backwards.

"Sup Sid." Arnold and Gerald said unison.

"I hear you're signing up" said Sid, getting straight to the point.

Arnold's eyes widened, "What? Who told you that?"

"Just overheard it on my travels," shrugged Sid, "you know how it goes."

"Well, keep it down. It's something I'm not spreading around." Arnold said, "there's some people I just don't want to know."

"Too late. Everyone knows."

"What?" Arnold could almost feel a blood vessel burst. "C'mon who told you?"

Sid backed off ever so slightly, "I've just heard it from Stinky, Nadine told him."

Arnold bowed his head under a slight face palm, "I don't believe this."

As if perfectly on cue, Stinky walked into the store at that moment. Sporting his new attempts to grow facial hair and wearing a UPS uniform, there was nothing much to say apart from the fact he was still the same old Stinky, southern drawl 'n' all.

"Howdy fellas" he said, removing his cap has he cruised through the door.

"Beard boy" nodded Gerald, Stinky seeming to be of full acceptance of his new designation.

"I heard the news, congratulations Arnold."

Arnold looked up into the air and let out a long drawn out sigh. "Thanks Stinky."

"When do you leave then?" Asked Sid, leaning back against the counter.

"He leaves a couple weeks after his birthd-"

Arnold cut Stinky off there, "Okay okay, it's obvious this is going to be on all the major news networks by lunch time... does she know?"

Sid looked at Gerald who in turn looked at Arnold, "I have no clue, I've just been told. Not the first to know I might add." Gerald said, folding his arms.

"My life is going to be hell if she finds out," Said Arnold, concern beginning to effect his vocal chords, "I won't need a battlefield to help me to an unmarked grave."

Sid chuckled, "Arnold, listen I think you'll be fine. I'm pretty sure she doesn't know. She went with her parents for a long holiday to Bermuda. I'm sure they don't get back until the day you leave."

The blood began to drain from Arnolds face, the situation becoming more unpleasant by the minute, "Satellites Sid, cell phones, texts, email, she can find out any time she wants."

"But she actually has to be here to give you a whoopin'" said Stinky, "and besides I'd bet she'd be ever so sad you're goin'."

"Replace 'sad' with 'EF5 tornado' and yes, I'll believe you." Arnold stated, "She's nuts, believe me."

"Don't worry, it'll be fine," Gerald said in an attempt to re-assure him. "You can have a leaving party at the Sunset Arms. She won't be there, all your buddies will. It'll be great. Trust me."

And trust him Arnold did. Snapping back to reality of his room, he walked over and sat down at his desk shuffling through the drawers to see if there was anything that he wanted to take with him. He needed better opportunities and a better wage. He had achieved top grades at school, and done just as well at college. He had even been offered an unconditional place at a nearby university. However, his father's medical bills were a heavy burden on both himself and his grandparents. He was currently running two jobs to try and ease the financial hardships his family was suffering. It was after searching for possible options he had decided to opt for the U.S military enlisted personnel, as a Military Engineer. He had impressed those present in the interviews with his knowledge, and years of being captain of the baseball team had kept him in peak physical fitness. This was an ideal opportunity to break the fresh burdens life had thrown upon him, and do well for himself. He had to regain control of his life somehow. The only problem was, he was going to have to leave everybody, with a small possibility of him not coming back. 'This situation seems a bit fimilia-'

It was at that moment, he found it...

Helga's locket...

...

He looked in disbelief, he thought it was lost. Dusted over, it hadn't seen the light of day in a while.

He quickly opened it, the space once bearing a picture of Arnold now held a picture of Helga. It was a little dated, about three years old. 'Just when she was getting those curves' he smiled to himself. He opened the latch to see the inscription.

'Arnold my soul, you are always in my heart. Love, Helga G. Pataki.'

His heart fluttered, suddenly feeling a surge of specially reserved chemicals filling every inch of his body. Dopamine, oxytocin, norepinephrine, oh yeah baby it was all there. The warmth, the butterflies, the feeling of sheer ecstasy and running a marathon all at the same time. It was intense, a feeling he could not find anywhere else. He'd sometimes skip meals when he felt like this. His appetite would just vanish.

It's as if she was there with him. He smiled. That inscription never failed to please him. He took a deep breath and looked at the photo again. A knot steadily stated to build in his throat, it was happening again.

"Helga..."

Arnold missed her. He really missed her. Even though he had not seen her in three years, he still missed her. But every time he tried to move past their time together, he realised that same thing over and over again. The knot in his throat was building, 'No, not now...'

His heart had started to pull in double, maybe triple shifts, he ran his finger across the photo, before closing the locket.

'I really thought throughout school she had it in for me, that she hated me. The verbal and physical abuse... it was all a front,' Arnold thought. Although it was their encounter on the top of the Future Tech Industries building that raised suspicions of her true intentions, it was the kiss in San Lorenzo that confirmed it.

San Lorenzo had changed everything between them. 'She was different after they had got back. She was herself, she was everything she said she would be. The name calling, the random punching, it became just playful. She became nice to me. Really nice. I couldn't help but fall for her.' His mind spanned across shattered memories of happier times.

"She was my all..."

'She did exactly what she desperately needed to do, she was open and honest with me. She talked about everything, her family, her feelings, her hopes, her dreams, her poetry, the bubblegum shrines, breaking into the Sunset Arms, everything. And in turn I did the same... and I finally realised something myself. Feelings I'd been suppressing for a while...'

They had done everything together from thereon in, and were inseparable for years. They ate at each other's houses, went on holiday with each other's families, spent Christmas together, everything. She did much better in class too, they both did.

They were king and queen of the prom once too, Grandpa and Grandma used to joke that they would eventually be married someday. They say they saw themselves in Arnold and Helga, and they honestly believed them.

Then she went to university...

His heart sank. That, coupled with his dad's illness was the beginning of the end. The long distance relationship just ultimately faltered under the strain of him having to work non-stop shifts in two separate jobs, and spend time with his father in hospital. But she had done well, she had got into Berkeley, Majoring in English.

They kept in touch, but the correspondence just eventually stopped. They had spoke only once since that, she wanted to send his grandma a Christmas present. She was thoughtful like that.

'We talked that night about us, on the phone for six hours. My situation was draining me, she was doing so well, she deserved a lot more than I could provide. I couldn't hold her back.'

"She was devastated..."

That was a year ago.

'That was one of the hardest things I have ever done,' Arnold thought, 'in my heart I have always regretted it, but I try to stick by it.' His mind wandered to the words of a song that used to crop up on Helga's playlist,

**What's gotten into me  
I never used to feel this way  
Never needed someone to belong to  
Someone to belong to me  
Now I sit here in the darkness  
And I don't know where you are  
Tell me how I'm going to face it  
Has it got to be so hard  
And there is no way in sight  
I can get through this night  
Tell me what do I do, tell me what do I do**

That's another song Arnold could no longer listen to. He just remembers her sobs on the phone, a sound that still cut through his very soul. She had repeatedly begged for him to reconsider, but Arnold had said it was for the best. He hadn't cried, he had just held his head in his hands as Helga did that for them. One of the worst nights of his life. The very thought shamed him. The love of his life, and he did that. He had no idea what he had been thinking looking back, but the damage was done.

He looked at the time, 11pm. He'd hardly done anything at all.

Throwing another pair of jeans into his bag, he decided that it he get something to drink. Although eating was not now on his agenda. It had happened again. His hunger was just non-existent. He felt sick.

He walked downstairs down into the dimly lit kitchen. Mr. Hyunh was busy making a sandwich, with a moody jazz song filling the air. He turned to face him as he rounded the corner.

"Hey Arnold! Want some of this sandwich?" said Mr. Hyunh, holding what seemed to be more of a mayonnaise laden train wreak than a sandwich.

"No thanks Mr. Hyunh, I'm good."

Arnold poured himself a coffee, and spying a half empty bottle of Oskar's whisky on the counter, put a couple of shots in for good measure. He sipped it back, 'Life has a habit of being a bit too challenging somet-'

Arnold's phone buzzed, he received a text message from Gerald.

'Bro - Shes bk from holiday early and shes pissed'

If Arnold felt bad before, he sure did now. His regret had just been replaced with fear, "... oh shit."

"What you say?" Mr. Hyunh said.

Arnold ignored him and quickly replied, this was not going to be good.

'When? Shes supposed to be on holiday'

'2 hrs ago. She knows, apparently shes on her way over.'

'Thx Gerald'

'nps'

He swigged the coffee back as he sent the last text, with a couple out of the bottle for good measure. This was going to be messy.

At that moment, there was a loud thumping at the front door. The shouting thankfully partially muffled by the sturdy wooden structure.

"Arnold? ARNOLD?!"

She was here...

"That crazy bitch at the door again?" Mr. Hyunh asked, "you need to send her away right now before she brake something."

Arnold let out a sigh, "Okay let's get this over and done with."

"I _know_ you're in there! I can hear you!"

Arnold took the bottle from the counter, "I'll be needing this," he said, "don't wait up."

"Don't fight with bottle," Mr. Hyunh said looking slightly shocked, "use something you else, toaster maybe."

"ARNOLD!"

Arnold tipped his football shaped head ever so slightly, "No Mr. Hyunh, it's for me. I'm really going to need its contents over the next half hour."

Arnold proceeded to the door, which was barely containing the wrath of a women seemingly scorned as it was.

He took a deep breath, braced himself, and opened the door.

* * *

**Arnold is having a tough time in his life at the moment, and it sounds as if it's going to get a lot worse. But who or what could be so problematic for him?**

**Although I have about half of the story mapped out in my head, I would love to hear from you regarding what you think should happen next. It might be a lot more interesting than I have lined up. Please PM me, and I would be more than happy to discuss any ideas you may have.**

**If you like it or thought I approached something well, also please let me know if you have the time.  
I will attempt to update it more regularly if there is enough interest.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	2. It's hard to let go

**This is my second installment. I would like to thank people for their feedback and for actually reading it! It means a lot.**

**So, now we get to see who is behind the door.**

* * *

'And there she was...'

"ARNOLD..."

'Flowing red hair...'

"Why didn't-"

'Beautiful figure...'

"-you tell me-"

'Bumps in all the right places...'

"-you were leaving?!"

'Golly she looked tasty...'

"Arnold, ANSWER ME."

'It's a pity she was just completely crazy.'

Despite knowing that the next thirty minutes or so were going to be like competing in a mental marathon, Arnold was ready. He had also decided against saying anything 'clever', just in case things turned immediately bad. When she wasn't angry, you couldn't but help but smile when you saw her. When she was angry, she tended to break you.

"Hi Lila."

"Arnold, what the HELL have you been doing? You look a mess."

Arnold stood in the doorway to the Sunset Arms, wearing only his boxer shorts, a white t-shirt and a pair of his grandfather's old slippers. A few coffee stains were present where he hadn't realised he'd spilled some on himself when she had started to hammer away at the front door. Finally to top it off, he held an half empty bottle of whisky in his hand. He couldn't deny it, it was an accurate observation for sure.

"I've been packing."

Lila looked straight at the bottle, "Getting a head start are you?" He really should have left it in the kitchen.

"I want to make sure I create a good first impression." He quipped, regretting it as soon as he realised what he had said.

Lila's eyes narrowed, "What about the first question?"

'Hmmm... why was he leaving?' He wished the answer to this one was simpler. It was always best to form a response to Lila's questions in two sentences or less. It was now half past eleven, and to resolve this amicably this question was going to take at least an hour's worth of constructive dialogue, a cup of coffee each and a comfortable sofa. Not forgetting he still had to pack, and get some sleep. That wasn't going to happen. And besides, there was no such thing as amicable when Lila was involved.

"Lila, please let me explain..."

Her stance relaxed a little, maybe he _could_ resolve this diplomatically, although it was still too early to say. Her scowl however, was still pretty menacing.

"Okay, go on."

Arnold wasn't one for arguments, he actively tried to avoid them if at all possible. He was a truthful guy, he always had been and even though Lila gave him a hard time he at least owed her honesty. That's the role of being the decent person he was, and he was going to stick to that. He decided to try and ease her in gently, but at the same time he was finally fed up with the way things were.

"Listen, the past few years Lila, have been incredibly hard for me. I've had to work insane hours to pay for dad's medical bills, visit him in hospital, help my grandparents out with bills and maintenance, study to get the grades I wanted. There was my mom. And on top of that you constantly hassle me over-"

"It's ALWAYS about you Arnold. What about my mom? You talk about her as if she was the only one who ever-" Lila as ever had started one of her ranting routines. 'Softly softly' was clearly not going to work.

"Lila, listen for once," Arnold interjected, "ever since we have been dating I have been able to cut the atmosphere with a knife. You've always been hostile towards my female friends, checking my cell and email account constantly. There is just no privacy. I can't interact with who I want to without everything becoming a drama. I'm really unhappy Lila..." Arnold paused for a second, "I... we... need to move on."

Lila was hurt, her face said it all.

'Oh please no...'

As Lila began to unleash a torrent of abuse, Arnold knew it was time to just switch off. He had been here many times before, and it wasn't a pretty place to be. He decided to have another sip from the bottle, it was the only painkiller he had. He digressed for a moment while he waited for an opening. His own mind felt like the only place that was safe anymore.

The trip to San Lorenzo had changed a lot back in the fourth grade. The most obvious difference was that between Arnold and Helga and how the cloud of tension had suddenly lifted and everything felt better. It was a no brainer, everyone already knew that Helga liked Arnold so it was a relatively easy switch. As Arnold thought back, he realised what had initially gone unnoticed was Lila's new attitude towards him. Arnold had originally really liked Lila, but Lila had always kept Arnold at arm's length, saying she didn't "like him like him" at the time. She had not gone to San Lorenzo, but seeing how happy Arnold and Helga were together upon their return changed something. It's as if Helga and Lila swapped places.

The difference between Helga and Lila, was that before their relationship Helga did believe it or not have some restraint over her fixation with Arnold. Lila, really did not. She became a lot more forward, and she did not know when to back off, sometimes pining for attention which certainly aggravated Helga. Around the start of 8th grade it was more obvious what her intentions were, and that said Helga had attempted to put an abrupt stop to it directly, earning a total of three two-week suspensions. Later on she had become more obsessive, messaging him constantly about how she had been wrong, how she liked him and how he should be with her and not Helga.

Arnold, forever the peacemaker sought to save Helga from yet more time at home and had managed to talk her out of taking any more action. Lila however certainly wasn't one for giving up. She even tried dating other students purely with the aim of making Arnold jealous. The plans did not work as intended, but certainly managed to disrupt things within the group. In her crusade, Lila had managed to cause a whole heap of problems, and shatter a couple of hearts in the process. Sid being one of the major casualties.

'It took him six months to pull himself back together,' thought Arnold, 'so what the hell was I thinking?'

Upon Arnolds unforeseen breakup with Helga, Lila had jumped at the chance. With Lila's round-the-clock friendly support and guidance when he was most vulnerable, they began seeing each other two months after the breakup. Arnold in this case wasn't completely faultless, he knew it was a mistake, and the guilt he felt dating someone so soon weighed heavily on his conscience. Lila soon sensed this, and things had deteriorated. Leaving a disastrous and abusive relationship, which she refused to end.

'I didn't want to be on my own,' Arnold thought, 'maybe if I hadn't have felt guilty-'

"ANSWER ME!"

Was this it? He had no idea what she had said and he did not dare ask if she could repeat herself. If he was honest, he really did not care. However he suddenly knew that switching off had been a bad idea. Either way it needed resolution. He decided that his course of action was to cut out the crap and get on with it. He'd never been direct with Lila before, it might be a good time to try it.

"It would have never have worked out between us Lila." he said, noticing that the entire contents of her handbag were now on the floor for some reason.

"No," she said, starting to gather her things, "because of one simple reason."

"And what's that?"

"IT'S BECAUSE YOU STILL LOVE HER!" Lila screamed, hurling a hairbrush straight past his head through the open door behind him.

'She's nuts.' Arnold could see it happening again, checking that the projectile had not damaged anything, he turned round and raised his voice, something he didn't normally do.

"Why would you think that? We've been broken up for a while now."

Lila tensed, giving Arnold the sort of look that penetrated into his very soul, "I know, because you're holding her locket."

...

Arnold looked down, In his right hand was the bottle. In his left was...

Helga's locket...

...

He was still holding it.

Words completely escaped him. He looked back at Lila. His heart sank.

"DON'T SAY ANYTHING ARNOLD." She cried, in a perfect mixture of anger and grief.

...

"I..."

"YOU'RE A LIAR", she sobbed, "I hate you..."

"Lila..."

"More than anything."

"Lila I never meant to..."

"Don't talk to me..." She cried, "I NEVER want to see you again."

She stormed off hysterically as he remained dumbstruck at the door, bottle and locket in hand. She ploughed through a small crowd which had formulated down the street, yelling something on the way past.

She turned the corner, and she was gone.

The night was cold, and he certainly wasn't dressed for the occasion. He turned his focus to the locket, a heart shaped golden glow in the gentle ambience of the street light.

"You're right Lila." he whispered to himself.

Holding the locket tightly, he walked back inside, and closed the door behind him. He maintained a slow pace to the kitchen, taking one more sip for good measure. Grandpa, Mr. Hyunh, and Oskar had taken up positions, they had been listening into the previous conversation. Arnold felt awful. He didn't like Lila, but he didn't want it to end like this.

"Hey, that's my whisky!" said Oskar, noticing the bottle.

"Here Oskar, take it," said Arnold, thrusting it into his chest, "I've had enough anyway."

Arnold sat with his head down at the table, Mr. Hyunh and Phil still watching him. He sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

"Oh, can I have the hairbrush?" said Oskar making his way out of the room, "maybe Suzie will like it."

"Sure, knock yourself out," said Arnold. To him, it was just a reminder of how unenjoyable his life had become.

Mr. Hyunh and Phil looked at each other and looked back at Arnold.

"You okay short man?" Enquired his grandfather.

"Why does life have to be so difficult Grandpa?" Arnold asked as he looked up at him.

Phil pondered for a second, "I don't know boy. I've been trying to answer that question for 80 years."

Mr. Hyunh shrugged. "You should not have dated her Arnold," he said. "She like a hurricane. You knew she was big trouble."

"Yeah, I kinda brought that on myself." Said Arnold.

At that minute his cell phone buzzed, it was Gerald.

'Stinky jus saw Lila coming from your place. She was pissed. U ok?'

'Yeah I'm fine. You'll be pleased to know its over.'

'lol finally. ok buddy let me know if u need anything'

'Believe me it wasn't lol, thanks tho Gerald'

'take it easy bro'

As Arnold received the last text he looked at the clock, ten minutes past twelve. It was getting late and he had to pack. He walked back to his room without saying a word, and closed the door. He looked through the skylight.

He thought of his father, who had pretty much lived at the hospital for a while now. Arnold needed to see him. His father was the best person he knew for giving advice, and he sure needed it now. However visiting times were over, and the hospital was closed until tomorrow.

At that moment, he flipped open his phone and started to text Trixie. A nurse he knew at the hospital where his dad was a patient.

'Trix, are you on duty?'

'Hey Arnold! Yeah I'm on front desk, why?'

'I need to see my dad.'

'Now? u okay?'

'Yeah, it's been a hard days night if you know what I mean. I need to talk to him.'

'Okay, well hes asleep, but I can wake him if youre coming over'

'I'd really appreciate that. I'll be over soon'

'Cool, see u then'

Arnold snapped his phone closed and quickly got dressed. Grabbing his keys and the locket, he opened the skylight and climbed out. As he closed the window the cool breeze passed through his hair. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath in and looked upward, basking in the sounds of the city. It might have been the booze, but he felt alive.

There was always a small element of excitement when he went to see his father. He ran across the roof, and scaled the fire escape down to the parking lot. Despite holding down two jobs Arnold didn't have a car of his own, he just couldn't afford it. However his grandpa had give him a spare set of keys in case of 'emergency'. That usually meant late night trips to see his dad.

He popped a chewing gum for good measure, started the car, cranked up the radio and headed to the hospital.

Because of his work, Arnold couldn't normally visit during regular hours, meaning he could hardly visit his father at all. After he explained the situation and convinced Trixie, a nurse to let him in after hours. They had even got to the point where he had started talking to her about Lila.

'And she does look good in that uniform,' thought Arnold, pulling into a space around the back of the hospital.

He went to the usual side door, and knocked. The door opened after a few seconds, and there she was.

"Hi Honey!" She said, that warm smile she always seemed to have.

Arnold hugged her, "You don't know how much I appreciate this," he said closing the side door behind them, "it's been a tough night."

"Aren't you supposed to be preparing for tomorrow?" She said, as they set off down the hall.

"Yep," said Arnold, "but as per usual things did not go as planned."

Trixie looked at him, "Lila, right?" She raised her eyebrow and smiled.

"Yep, why?"

"Kinda guessed. She wasn't going to let you get away without saying goodbye."

"No I guess not. She was quite understanding this time actually."

"You don't need patching up?" Trixie looked at him in that 'you can tell me' sort of way.

"I'm good this time. Almost hit me with her hairbrush though."

"She's crazy."

"Yep." Arnold sighed.

"You deserve someone better Arnold, you're a really nice guy. I don't get it."

Arnold smiled, "I don't know what to say, if you ever learn anything about the good guys, apparently we just can't get enough of the bad girls."

She laughed as they entered the elevator, pushing the button for the third floor.

"Are you nervous?" She asked as the door closed, a slightly concerned look on her face.

"About what? Lila? No. I don't think she's coming back."

"No," said Trixie playfully, "the army."

"A little, I bet it's safer than her. This is what I need to talk to my dad about."

"Well, if you want to talk, you know where I am." She said, the elevator arriving at the third floor.

"Sure. I appreciate that"

"He's in the same place, at the end of the hall."

Trixie waved, and returned to the nurses' station.

'And I had to choose Lila...' he thought.

It was always the same, the door at the end. They never moved his father from there. Arnold wasted no time, he peered through the glass in the door.

This was Arnold's sanctuary. Strange as it just happened to be the third floor in a hospital. It was quiet, except for the occasional ticking of machines. But most importantly, it contained one of the most influential people in his life before the incident. His father.

His father lay there, still hooked up to machines as he always was. It was still reasonably dark, a small desk light fed what little light there was to the room. He turned his head and saw him. Arnold could just make out a smile behind the oxygen mask. His father as best as he could gestured him in.

"Hi son. I didn't think I'd see you." said Miles, a slight rasping sound coming from his lungs.

"Missed you too pops." Smiled Arnold, attempting to hug him without wrenching any tubes lose again. He couldn't remember in recent times when he had managed to give him a proper hug.

"I'm grateful you made it before you go, but aren't you supposed to be preparing for tomorrow?"

"Yeah, about that dad, I needed to see you." Arnold took the visitors chair and brought it closer to the bed.

"What's going on Arn?" Said Miles as Arnold sat down to his eye level. "How's Phil and Gertie?"

"They're good, Gandpa's still his old self and Grandma's still trying to act as if she's my age," said Arnold, "they're going to come and see you next week. Apparently they have something for you. I have no idea what it is though, grandma's probably got you a grapping hook again. I keep telling her this isn't a prison but she won't listen. I've also been real busy getting all the paperwork finished for when I leave tomorrow. They want to know absolutely everything, it's crazy."

"Please tell me you at least made time for a party Arnold," Miles said, gesturing Arnold to pass him the cup of water on the side table.

"They threw a surprise party for me on Thursday," said Arnold handing him the cup, "lots of people came and we had a great time. I'm not sure how they managed to keep it quiet. A bit emotional though as you can imagine, I'm really going to miss them. Gerald, Sid, Stinky and the guys turned up as promised. Iggy, Lorenzo and Eugene managed to make it too. Sheena came with Nadine, but Rhonda isn't in town. Eugene had a bit too much to drink and fell out of a second story window into a loaded trashcan. That was hilarious. Oh and Phoebe managed to make it back from university, she looks really nice now."

"Yeah, some of them have grown up to be magnificent young women," Miles laughed, "Gerald has really done well for himself."

"Yeah, she's nice dad. Gerald's a lucky guy."

"Okay, so now we're on the subject Arn, what's the problem?"

'Damn it dad,' Arnold thought, 'Why can you read me so easily?'

"You know, the usual." Said Arnold, his father usually had an inkling what the issue was about.

"Lila?"

"Yeah, we broke up tonight finally."

"I'm not going to say it Arnold."

"I know dad, I just didn't want to hurt her that's all."

"In a way Arnold, I admire that," said Miles, "it shows that you have respect and that you're willing to work things out when things get hard. But she had absolutely no respect for you."

"No, she didn't. You know me, I always try to see the best in people, to use words rather tha-"

"But sometimes," his father interrupted, "you need to know when to draw the line, to know when things have become too harmful to continue. Lila is beyond that stage Arnold. She's just-"

Arnold had heard this a too few many times now, "A psycho? That's what everyone else says."

"Well, I wouldn't use that word, but yes. She's never broken up with you when this sort of stuff has happened before. What happened this time?"

Arnold sighed, "This happened." He pulled out Helga's locket and placing it on the bed. The atmosphere in the room suddenly changed.

There was a deep silence...

Not a single word was uttered for several minutes, they occasionally took brief glances at each other.

"What happened Arnold?"

"I never told Lila I was leaving, I never built up the courage to."

"I guessed..."

"She would just start an argument, so I on purposely chose her time to go on holiday to leave. Sid said she was coming back tomorrow so I wasn't worried. The cowards way out sure, but I didn't want another fight."

Miles nodded.

"I'd be gone by the time she got back, that was the plan. But she came back today. But while I was packing I found Helga's locket... tonight she came to the boarding house, I answered the door holding it. She saw it, she freaked out..."

He went silent, Arnold was becoming more distressed.

"And then?"

Arnold fought back staggered breathing, trying to compose himself.

"Dad..."

"Yes?"

"I miss her."

"I know Arnold..."

"You have no idea how much she meant to me." Arnold took a deep breath in an attempt to regain some control. Miles' heart sank, he could hear the sorrow in his voice seeping through.

"Dad, when I was three I met a girl. It was a really miserable day. The clouds were dark, and it had rained for hours. She had walked to play school on her own, because she came from a family that didn't really care about her. Small and vulnerable with no one to help her. She was wet, cold and miserable with nothing to eat because her lunch box had been stolen. She looked so sad, standing alone in the pouring rain. I covered her with my umbrella. I smiled and I told her I liked her bow, that it was pink like her pants."

"And although I didn't know it at the time that was the beginning. Things happened that were beyond my control. Forces that none of us have any way of understanding. Although she was mean to me for the next six and a half years I had planted the seeds of love and friendship, and they blossomed into something far more wonderful than I could have imagined."

"She was there at San Lorenzo. She helped me decipher the journal and helped figure out where you were. I wasn't an orphan anymore. She gave her all to help me get my mom and dad back. That one simple act of kindness when I was three years old manifested into something breathtaking, and she returned that act of kindness exponentially. She declared her love for me that day even before I found you and mom. I knew then she was there for me no matter what, and although we were only ten I was happy."

"There was nothing I would change about her, she was wonderful in every way. Compassionate, intelligent, beautiful, funny, loyal, honest and utterly fearless. She would have followed me to the gates of hell itself if I had asked her to. Even if she had no way of coming back and she would have had to spend eternity in darkness and despair, she would have give up everything just to be with me. And I would have done the same for her."

"She always used to text me if I was late, she would listen when I had a problem, she used to smile in that cute way after we kissed. We were inseparable. People joked about us being married and although we dismissed it Helga had it all planned out in her own strange way. The church, the bridesmaids, the food, the honeymoon, everything. She was amazing. If everyone could feel the way we did every marriage would last forever."

"She was the most beautiful girl I ever saw. She was the answer to the prayers I never realised I had made. The one who I would lay down my life for. Her name was Helga G. Pataki, and I met this extraordinary girl in the freezing rain. On an ordinary street in an ordinary town. You can't chose who you fall in love with, that would be too easy. Love does that for you. And it chose us that day, seventeen years ago..."

Tears began to pepper the bed sheets...

"She said I was her soul. That I was always in her heart. She even engraved it in the locket she gave me..."

"Arnold..."

"And I let her go. I had a chance to be happy forever, and I let her go."

Miles closed his eyes.

"I still hear her cry." Arnold held his head in his hands.

"You-"

"Lila was only ever right about one thing," said Arnold now looking at his father, "that I loved her. And I did that to her. What sort of person does that make me? It's unforgivable."

"You were only trying to do the right thing."

"No I didn't. I destroyed the most precious thing I had, and walked away."

"Arn-"

"Dad..."

"Arnold..."

"That's it isn't it?"

"No son, it isn't."

"They were some of the best years of my life," said Arnold composing himself, "I gained so much, there was so much to live for."

"There still is. You have everything to live for."

"Now it's all gone again."

He looked at his dad, his eyes glistening in the light reflected from the oxygen mask.

"Arnold, listen to me. This is now. You still have me, you still have your grandparents, and you still have your friends. I'll get over this soon and I'll help you get on your feet, hell I'll even get you that truck you've always wanted. But look at me, first of all you need to get yourself back together. You're joining the military tomorrow and you can't let them see you like this. You're going to be working in dangerous places, you need to be able to keep your nerve. Because if you screw up people may die. You're my son, and I love you more than anything. You have already achieved so much in this life Arnold, made so many people happy, but you need to continue to stay strong. It will get better, but for now you're going to have to learn to let go."

"Dad..."

"Trust me Arnold. I've had to do my fair share of letting go. You're a strong, honest, intelligent guy. You're just what the army needs. You need to concentrate on that and give it your all tomorrow." Miles was starting to look tired, the medication pumping into his arms obviously having an effect.

"Yeah."

Miles looked directly into Arnold's eyes, "No matter what happens. You're my only son. I love you Arnold."

"I love you too dad." Arnold smiled.

"Make me proud."

Arnold adjusted his father to a more comfortable position and proceeded to tuck him in, "I will. I'll visit when I get leave, I'm sure Trixie will look after you."

"Yeah... she's great..." Miles muttered as he started to drift off.

Arnold took the locket and walked out of the room, turning the light off and closing the door as he went. He walked quietly to the nurses 'station. Arnold leaned against the desk and smiled. Trixie looked up, and did the same.

"Hey Trixie."

"Hey Arnold, time to go?"

"Yeah, he's asleep now. I just wanted to say thanks. Thanks for looking after my dad. Thanks for letting me see him after hours. You're amazing, I just wanted to tell you that. I wish there were more people like you." Arnold gave her a hug, he undoubtedly felt better.

She blushed, "No problem honey, I'll take good care of him. Have a safe trip, and don't forget to pop in and say hello every once in a while."

Arnold pushed the button for the elevator, "I'll be back before you know it," were the last words Trixie heard as the doors closed.

The trip home give him some time to reflect on the time with his father. He was right, he had to somehow move on from Helga. He had an important period of his life in front of him, and it was going to require all of his energy and determination to do it. The late night drives were always a good time to reflect, just the open inner-city roads to keep you company, and whatever was on the radio. As he pulled into the Sunset Arms he checked his cell, he was shocked it was already two o'clock. Tiredness was really beginning to take hold, so he went back in through the front door. The house was silent, no chaos, no pets, just silence.

He calmly walked to his room and finished packing. Although Helga was still on his mind, there was surprisingly little to think about. He slid into bed again, set his alarm and closed his eyes.

It only felt like he had been asleep ten minutes...

HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD! *Thump*

Arnold switched off his alarm clock. It was half seven, and he was still tired. He crept out of bed, and went to the bathroom. It was finally here, the day his life changed forever. He got ready, grabbed his bag and went downstairs, his grandparents waiting for him, a full cooked breakfast placed where he usually sat. It smelled great, fried eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns and all the trimmings.

"Today's the day short man!" Said Phil.

"You need a good breakfast before you go." Said his Grandmother, seeming to act a little bit more normal than usual. It was strange, big events seemed to sober her up a bit from those crazy shenanigans.

He wasted no time eating, he was hungry, and he didn't know the next time he was going to eat. As his grandmother passed him a coffee, he sat and contemplated the day ahead. He spoke with his grandparents, asking his grandfather about his time in the army. He had a range of emotions, excited, scared, sad. He didn't know how to place it. After a while the boarders came down together, they had given them a bit of extra time with each other.

As Mr. Potts entered the kitchen, he walked over to Arnold and hugged him.

"Today's the day kiddo, I'm tellin' you, you'll love it. You'll get to see the world!"

"Yeah, I guess so," Arnold smiled, "thanks for being there for me Mr. Potts."

"No problem Arnold, do your country proud!"

Mr. Hyunh came through the door straight after.

"Here Arnold, I got this for you. It isn't much, but.. here."

Arnold was shocked. As he opened the wrapper, a brand new harmonica looked back at him. It was beautiful. He was taken back, lost for words. After finding his voice, he turned to Mr. Hyunh.

"Thanks Mr. Hyunh," he said, "I don't know what else to say." Arnold stood up and hugged him.

"Mai said I should get this for you," he said, "she said she's going to miss you too."

"You shouldn't have, but thank you."

Oskar butted in at that second.

"Arnold Arnold! I have for you most amazing gift! You can brush your hair with this, it makes you beautiful!"

Arnold looked at Lila's hairbrush, and looked back at him.

"It's okay Oskar, I've already got one."

"What the hell are you doing!?" Shouted Mr. Hyunh.

"Giving him a present, he's good guy." Said Oskar, running out of the kitchen.

As Mr. Hyunh chased after him, Arnold knew he would miss the craziness of the Sunset Arms, it was all going to go, replaced by a mass of drill sergeants and fresh faced recruits, still that's what he signed up for. Suddenly, he heard the blast of a horn outside. Gerald was here. He turned to his grandparents and hugged them.

"Do us proud Arnold," said his Grandfather, "think of Steely Phil."

"Write to us Arnold," said his Grandmother, "don't forget to use the secret code, they're watching!"

"I'll miss you both, I'll be back when I get leave, don't worry."

Hearing the horn again, he left a tearful goodbye as his grandparents waved at him. He ran out of the house and jumped into Gerald's car.

"Hi Gerald. Thanks for doing this for me." Arnold said, buckling himself in.

"No problem Arnold, I wanted a chance to see you before you go anyway."

They started to drive, the train station their destination. They initially didn't say much, the moment not providing fruitful for any kind of small talk. The radio played silently, as Arnold looked out of the window. Mr. Greens Meats, the school, he watched random parts of his childhood slipping away. This was it, when he finally returned, he would not be the same and he knew it. What kind of person he was going to be, he was not sure of. Amazingly they did not talk throughout the whole trip. Something was playing on Gerald's mind. He looked like there was so much he wanted to say, but that he somehow couldn't say it. As they pulled into the parking lot at the station, Gerald finally broke the silence amid silent reflection.

"Have you thought much about Helga?"

Arnold wasn't expecting this, "Helga? She's gone now Gerald. I have no hope of ever getting her back." His response was as swift as it was sad.

"I'm really sorry man, I just didn't know what else to say" said Gerald.

"It's okay. I need to do this. Everyone has moved on except me." Said Arnold, "I'll miss you buddy."

Gerald, knew it would be a while before they saw each other again. "Thanks for everything Arnold. It's like losing a brother. Stay safe out there okay?"

"Sure. I'll be back at some point. I'll call you." Said Arnold. As he went to open the door to the car, he turned back.

"Gerald... I have a favour to ask you."

"Anything man, what is it?"

Arnold felt a knot build in his throat at the thought, "I need you to get rid of this for me." He dug his hand in his inside pocket and pulled out a chain of some sort. It looked brand new.

"Helga's locket..." said Gerald, "Arnold are you sure?"

"Gerald, if I keep this I am going to go insane. This is my final possession from her. She's gone now, and... it needs to go too."

"I can't."

"Gerald, please. Just do this one thing. I need closure."

Gerald took the locket, he gazed at it and looked back at Arnold.

Arnold smiled, "See you on the flipside Gerald." He said as they did the secret handshake.

Arnold got out of the car and threw his bag over his back. It was gone, his final link to what was his one true love. He felt a deep sadness that it was now well and truly over. He took a deep breath and descended up the stairs to the station. Gerald watched as he disappeared inside. It would be a while before he would be back. He looked at the locket again.

"Later Arnold."

* * *

**Poor Arnold. It's hard to let something go, especially when it reminds you of someone who was special in your life. But, he's done the sensible thing and attempted to move on. Will army life change him? And what will he be like when he gets back to Hillwood? How does Helga feel? So many unanswered questions. So little time.**

**Again, I will endeavor to update regularly with more interest.**

**I had a very positive response last time, thank everyone who reads it, I hope you enjoyed it. Again I am looking for your feedback. Am I doing something right/wrong? Would you like to see this from another person's perspective maybe? If you would like to see anything in particular worked into the storyline, please let me know. I am only one PM away.**


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